Device for protection against unintended needle point punctures

ABSTRACT

The subject invention is an improved device for protection an individual from inadvertently puncturing the skin by a hypodermic or other type of needle adapted to be injected into a skin of an individual, such device comprising, in general, a member to be worn on or near the hand, where a hand is generally placed near the intended needle injection site or where a wound is located, such device being a shield member flexibly affixed over a portion of the hand, to protect the hand member from being inadvertently punctured injected by the needle point before or after the needle is injected under the skin of a patient or other individual.

DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART AND RELEVANT BACKGROUND

Whenever one uses a hypodermic needle for injecting medicine or fluids into an individual or where a hypodermic needle is used to draw blood for medical purposes, there are risks that the needle tip may be accidentally pierce the skin of the individual administering the process of injecting the hypodermic needle. Such hypodermic needles are well known in the art and the usage of such needles is widespread.

The use of hypodermic needles for injection under the skin poses potential problems for the person injecting the needle under the skin. As is well known, when the end of the needle is injected under the skin of an individual, the process can lead to problems with contaminating the needle point with germs from the patient or other contaminated substances that can advertently penetrate the individual deploying the hypodermic needle if the point of the needle inadvertently punctures the skin of such individual, particularly after injection and withdrawal from the patients.

Among other risks in this regard, it is important to understand that most medical personnel in handling such hypodermic needles, encounters the problem of contamination of the needle once so injected being covered or with a multitude of dangerous germs. Infections such as H.I.V or other viral or bacterial infections, require extreme precautions in order to prevent an inadvertent injection of the used needle into the skin of such medical workers. Such inadvertent needle injections occur frequently when the medical worker places the opposing hand not holding the needle, at or near the injected area of the skin be injected. The purpose of placing the hand in such position is to clear an area of the skin and steady the arm of the patient from movement during the injection process, among other functions.

More specifically, when a hand of the medical professional is so placed on the patient's arm, when the hypodermic needle is withdrawn, the proximity of this opposing hand near the injection sites presents the significant risk of a needle puncture of the skin of this hand as placed. While medical personnel generally use hypodermic needles in this process, they usually wear latex gloves on both hands. This usage of latex gloves provides little or no protection against potential needle punctures, since the latex glove is comprised of a thin and easily punctured membrane.

Thus, there is a need to provide further protection for the hand that is used to steady the arm of a patient, in this process to prevent the needle to be injected into such hand or arm area. In short, when the needle is applied to a localized skin area, of the patient, there is now no effective means to prevent the needle point from penetrating hand area of the medical professional.

The problem discussed above is not simply a problem of preventing injection. There is the additional problem that such needles can drip blood over a hand or on non-infected skin areas, and the problem of having the blood spreading to other less protective areas of the skin damage. Under such latter circumstances, it is important and vital to protect the hands or other body areas.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the subject invention to provide an improved device to alleviate the potential of the skin in hand or arm area from being inadvertently punctured;

A further object of the subject invention is to provide an improved device for protecting skin from the injection of a needle;

Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved health protection device;

A further object of the subject invention is to provide an improved hand protection device to help prevent the spread of skin infections by inadvertent punctures of a contaminated hypodermic needle;

Still another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved skin protective device;

A further object of the subject inventions to provide a structure to aid in the protection against an inadvertent needle injection;

Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved device to aid in the application and use of a hypodermic injection;

Other and further objects of the subject invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the claims.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top elevational view of the device incorporating one specific embodiment of the subject;

FIG. 2 is a top elevation view of a glove member incorporating features to accommodate a shield used as part of the subject invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing placement of a hypodermic needle into the arm of an individual and how the person who administers the injection of the needle places his or her hands o the arm of the patient, such figure showing by a positioning of a shield used in conjunction with the invention herein;

FIG. 4 is an upper elevational view on alternate speaker embodiment of the subject invention;

FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of yet another specific embodiment of the subject invention

DESCRIPTION OF GENERAL EMBODIMENT

The subject invention is an improved device for protection an individual from inadvertently puncturing the skin by a hypodermic or other type of needle adapted to be injected into a skin of an individual, such device comprising, in general, a member to be worn on or positional near the hand where a hand is generally placed near the intended needle injection site or when a wound is located, such device being a shield member flexibly placed over, or an adjacent portion of the hand, to protect the hand member from being inadvertently punctured injected by the needle point before or after the needle is injected under the skin of a patient or other individual.

In general and in summary, the subject invention is a protective device for an individual handling a hypodermic needle for injection into the flesh of an individual for medicinal injection and/or extraction of body substances for medical testing. Such device comprises a shield to be positioned over or near the hand, arm or other body parts to protect the skin of a medical professional from inadvertent injection of the hypodermic needle into his or her skin—particularly after the injection and withdrawal from the patient. Such device generally comprises a relatively hardened shield like structure positioned over part of the area of the skin of the medical professional or like personnel, particularly over the hand or arm of such latter individuals.

Such device optionally comprises a plastic shield that can be attached over the hand or even over a portion of a protective glove—such shield functioning as a protective shield against any thrust of the needle end towards the hand. This shield would be sufficient to prevent such inadvertent penetration, and optionally could be formed of a transparent or semi-transparent material.

In the general embodiment therein the shield is alternately append to the upper surface of a glove in some fixed but flexibly mounted arrangement to still permit the needle handler to move fingers when necessary to locate and prepare a vein for injection. Thus, once the shield member is affixed in place over the glove, the hand will not be limited in movement and the shield will be a flexibly mounted protective member only over the area upper hand to prevent the needle from accidentally moving downwardly into the skin.

Description of Specific Embodiments

In describing the specific embodiments of the subject invention, it is to be stressed that the following description is of only one or more specific embodiments within the overall scope of the subject invention and that the subject invention may encompass other embodiments, as seen in the claims annexed hereto. Therefore, the following description shall not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention herein, as more fully set forth in the claims annexed hereto.

The subject invention is an improved device for protection an individual from inadvertently puncturing the skin by a hypodermic or other type of needle adapted to be injected into a skin of an individual, such device comprising, in general, a member to be worn on or positional near the hand when a hand is generally placed near the intended needle injection site or where a wound is located, such device being a shield member flexibly placed over a or adjacent portion of the hand, to protect the hand member from being inadvertently punctured injected by the needle point before or after the needle is injected under the skin of a patient or other individual.

In general and in summary, the subject invention is a protective device for an individual handling a hypodermic needle for injection into the flesh of an individual for medicinal injection and/or extraction of body substances for medical testing. Such device comprises a shield to be positioned over or near the hand, arm or other body parts to protect the skin of a medical professional from inadvertent injection of the hypodermic needle into his or her skin—particularly after the injection and withdrawal from the patient. Such device generally comprises a relatively hardened shield like structure positioned over part of the area of the skin of the medical professional or like personnel, particularly over the hand or arm of such latter individuals.

Such device optionally comprises a plastic shield that can be attached over the hand or even over a portion of a protective glove—such shield functioning as a protective shield against any thrust of the needle end towards the hand. This shield would be sufficient to prevent such inadvertent penetration, and optionally could be formed of a transparent or semitransparent material.

In the general embodiment therein the shield is alternately append to the upper surface of a glove in some fixed but flexibly mounted arrangement to still permit the needle handler to move fingers when necessary to locate and prepare a vein for injection. Thus, once the shield member is affixed in place over the glove, the hand will not be limited in movement and the shield will be a flexibly mounted protective member only over the area upper hand to prevent the needle from accidentally moving downwardly into the skin.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in which specific embodiments of the subject invention is shown, a hand protective device as one specific embodiment incorporating the features of the subject invention, such as shield device 100 as shown. Protective device in the specific embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is incorporated with a glove member having an upper surface 30 and a lower surface 35, and a first lateral side edge 45 and a second lateral side edge 50, with finger insert projections 60A, 60B, 60D, 60E, and 60F and an internal insert opening 65 affixed on the upper surface 30 of glove member 20 generally, but not critically. In the center of the upper knuckle portion 53 of such upper surface is a shield connective device 100 shown as a fixed pivot snap-like attaching member 105 affixed to such glove 20. It is stressed that the fixation member, just described may be structured in other ways to and need not be a snap on fixture, so long as some means are available to affix the glove or even to the hand itself. Such pivot attaching member is shown as a male member 108 adapted to be fitted into a female opening in the lower surface of the shield member as more fully described below, or can be structured in a manner that positions the male and female fixtures. As seen in the drawings, shield member 100 is generally comprised of a hardened material 100 and is adapted to be attached to the upper surface 30 of glove 20. Shield member 100 is a planar member with an upper surface 120 and lower surface 130 with such lower surface having means to be attached to the upper surface 30 of glove 20 as stated. For this purpose as stated, the lower surface of 130 of the shield has a female opening 140 to receive the male knob to affix the shield 100 on the glove member 20. By this latter attachment arrangement, the shield member 100 moves with the knuckle movement and hand movements. The shield 100 can be shaped in a circular disc manner or as a square, or using other shapes, as seen from an upper elevational view.

It is noted that in this particular embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the shield 100 is shaped as a circular disc like member of sufficient diameter to extend somewhat beyond the finger tips, as seen in the drawings thereby sufficiently surrounding circumferentially the hand to keep any area of the hand protected from a downward thrust of a hypodermic needle to the hand.

Male insert member 108, as stated, is adapted to be inserted into the female shield connective opening 140 on the lower surface portion of shield 100. The shield connective member 105 on the upper surface of glove 20 can be formed alternatively as a female insert member, while the connecting member on the lower surface of the shield can be formed as a male member. In the first described arrangement, once the male prong portion 108 of the male insert member is inserted into the female opening 140 on shield 100 the shield member becomes connected to the glove 20 so that the shield member is held in place above the upper hand portion of the glove so positioned, as the hand and glove moves with the hand, the upper surface of the shield stays in place as the hypodermic needle is injected and thence when withdrawn.

As thus far described above, the glove member 20 is structured so that the hand in the glove can move about with relative freedom without interference from the shield. The goal is to provide a shield fastening mechanism that does not interfere with hand movements, yet which allows the shield to move about with the glove movement. In this specific embodiment described, shield 100 thus stays flexibly mounted with the hand movements. In the specific embodiment of the subject invention, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, shield 100 is formed of a clear plastic material, preferably but not essentially, which allows the user to see through the shield as to be able to observe his or her finger movement.

In an alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a shield 200 can simply be attached to the hand by a band 210 that surrounds the hand as seen in FIG. 5. In particular shield 200 can be shaped in similar fashion to shield 100 with an upper outer perimeter 215 and having an upper surface 220 and a lower surface 230. The band 210 would optimally be connected to the opposing sides of the perimeter edge so that when the hand is inserted in the shield 200, it will be above the upper part of the hand.

In yet another alternate embodiment of the subject invention, as seen in FIG. 4, a glove can function as the hand protective device. In this embodiment an otherwise conventionally formed glove 300 is provided with 310A, 310B, 310C, 310D, and 310E as standard for a glove with the upper surfaces of such finer portions having hardened portions so as to withstand needle pricks. Other embodiments are contemplated to all within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims hereto.

In summary, the subject invention is a hand protective device for protecting the hand of an individual from penetration by a needle point.

-   -   (a) a shield having an upper surface and a lower surface, such         shield device being comprised of a hardened material to protect         injection of a needle into the skin;     -   (b) fastening means affixed to such shield member to attach such         shield member to the upper portion of such hand of such         individual.

In further summary, the subject invention is a hand protective device for protecting the arm of an individual from penetration by a needle point comprising:

-   -   (a) a shield member having an upper surface and a lower surface         material;     -   (b) fastening means affixed to such shield member to attach such         shield member to a portion of such arm of such individual.

In still further summary, the subject invention is a hand protective device for protecting the hand and arm of an individual from penetration an unintended needle point puncture comprising of:

-   -   (a) a glove member, such glove member having portions of such         glove comprising of substances formed to block needle point         penetration. 

1. A hand protective device for protecting the hand of an individual from penetration by a needle point. (b) a shield having an upper surface and a lower surface, said shield device being comprised of a hardened material to protect injection of a needle into the skin; (c) fastening means affixed to said shield member to attach said shield member to the upper portion of said hand of said individual;
 2. A hand protective device for protecting the arm of an individual from penetration by a needle point comprising: (a) a shield member having an upper surface and a lower surface material; (b) fastening means affixed to said shield member to attach said shield member to a portion of said arm of said individual;
 3. A hand protective device for protecting the hand and arm of an individual from penetration an unintended needle point puncture comprising of (a) a glove member, said glove member having portions of said glove comprising of substances formed to block needle point penetration. 